to be ashamed of my American accent?

[DameYankee]

It's not so bad living here in Scotland, but when I go down to the inlaw's in Manchester, I feel acutely aware of my horrible American accent. The Scots don't seem to mind so much (I think they assume I'm Canadian?) but the English do. I used to live in Gloucester, and it was pretty apparent that having an American accent really annoys a lot of people because we're so loud. Also, when people hear my accent, they pretty much assume that whatever I'm saying must be ignorant.

I don't blame people for thinking this of Americans, which is why I'm ashamed of it.

I was reminded of this when I just now registered a nickname to post. For some reason, I picked "DameYankee" and then, after it was too late, I thought of why that may have been a mistake. "You had the chance, so long as you remembered to spell words correctly, to not come across as an American, and instead you went and announced yourself as one!"

I've also thought of trying to change my accent. I have a stubborn midwest/Southern accent, and haven't picked up anything of the Scottish accent after years of living here. I don't know if one goes to an acting coach for that sort of thing, or what.

Anyway, am I being unreasonable, or do you think there could be wisdom in trying to blend in a bit better?

People judge on accents here in a way that they never seem to do in the US. Whatever your accent here people will have an opinion about it, some good some bad. I have a so-called 'posh' accent and am completey judged on that. If I try to lessen it it just sounds incredibly phoney and I get judged even more!

Otherside, I do that, too. I also do it with scousers and geordies, and I get more cockney with dh and more posh with my mum.

Like Springsteen, I'm from NJ. I call lots of people, especially DH and all children, "darling." Glad some of you think it sounds nice.

Oh, maren. That's a shame.

It's not your accent, it's the way you use it! I work with 2 Americans, one loud, know-it-all, in your face and pushy (but with a heart of gold, really!) and the other sweet, softly-spoken and delightful. Worry not.

If I heard an American accent,I'd be fascinated and want to ask where abouts you lived in the US.[Have spent a lot of time there in the past].

Someone once asked me if I was from New Jersey.I'm from Leicestershire..........

I'm so sorry you feel like that. I am English and live in America and I am not going to deliberately change my accent to fit in better. We've been here over 2 years now and my eldest is just beginning to sound American! (She's 4!) You should be proud of who you are and that America has done a lot of good in the world.

Every country makes mistakes and/or deliberately does things that others may interpret in a poor light, but you personally are not responsible for any of them. I lived in Dresden for a couple of years which we almost completely flattened at the end of WW2 and never received a negative comment about my origins.

Chin up, I love a Southwestern accent. Are you Jerry Hall?

tadjennyp - there is a big dfference being English in America. Americans think the English accent is 'charming' and sounds 'intelligent'. Americans are often drawn to anyone with an English accent, as they find it exotic and pleasing to the ear.

Generally speaking, it is not the same for Americans in England.

It is usually ignorant people who judge americans , you will probably find they've never even there.

The loudness is irritating to brits but that you can tone down.

Be proud of who you are.

Well I think Americans are cool, so don't change anything. Yes you guys are pretty loud , but seem to be sunnier and smilier on the whole than the Brits (I know, I know, massive generalisation, JMO).

So don't be ashamed of anything.

YABU.

Change the words you use, change the inflection, but do NOT try to put on a British accent. You will sound like a twat.

I'm a sucker for an American accent!

You've got to be out and proud - pretending you are something you are not because of a few bigots will eat you up. I had a hard time from some in Yorkshire for my Southern English accent. I didn't ignore it and I became self-conscious and couldn't wait to get back Down South where I could just be me.

The English are historically disliked by Scotland, Ireland, Wales and France (and probably others). I believe some English express dislike of Americans because they need a target, especially trendy lefties who feel permanently obliged to be mealy-mouthed and pc about everyone else on the planet.

Ignore them and be Anerican. Have a fabulous Thanksgiving meal and don't invite the fuckers

Ha!! even in my head when i read your posts you have a Southern accent !!

YABU - my sister has lived in the USA for 17 yrs (LA & Texas) and has one messed up accent ...i love her for who she is not because of what she sounds like ....some people are just twats

"So which American sleb do you most sound like? I'm imagining Dolly Parton or Scarlett O'Hara?"

Neither.

My accent is only barely Southern, as I'm from Cincinnati, which is on the Northern side of the Ohio river, just across from Kentucky. But, it's not a Midwestern Accent of the sort you might here in Chicago or the movie "Fargo."

I've been told I talk like an American comedienne named Brett Butler.

i talk to an american guy quite a lot who calls me "darlin". i melt every time ... swoon ... as you were ...

Ooooh - Cincinnati. DD and I went to Skyline Chili this summer. It was a great stop on a road trip!

Look - if you feel self-conscious, it will be communicated in your demeanour/body language, etc. If you're sure of yourself, people will respond accordingly (for the most part! ).

Just be yourself (easier said than done, I know).

lol, hence the 'yankee' which is only applicable to a small part of America

One of the things that helped me was coming to the realization that the cultural differences are more than a few misplaced 'u's. Americans and Brits are very different which is easy to forget sometimes because of the shared mother tongue and amount of cultural crossover (listen to each other's pop stars, watch each other's television, etc). The cultural differences go a lot deeper than spelling.

Nothing I could have ever done would have ever made me less American, so it was much better to own it.

BTW, there are significant cultural differences between Americans and Canadians, but Canadians are the ones who get frustrated the most about it . I've been told that Europeans can't tell the difference unless they hear a significantly twisted "about"

Even most Americans can't tell the difference between a Canadian accent and an American one. All Canadians swear that they can, but I sometimes doubt it. From what I understand, the BC (West Coast) accent is indistinguishable from the Pacific Northwest (Seattle, Portland) accent.

I am frequently asked if I'm Canadian, but I think they are just defaulting to be polite. Canadians get offended, but Americans don't.

I used to work with a lovely girl from the midwest and was always rather envious that she could say "How can I help you" and "Have a nice day" with it all sounding so genuine.

Don't change your accent, people that make nasty comments are just doing it as it seems to be the only way to make themselves feel big.

Very interested to read about the difference in using tableware. I'd never realised before but my dad eats the "American way", he has no connection to America apart from being a big fan of cowboy films when growing up in the 50's. He is from a big farming family though, will have to find out if all his brothers eat the same way. I personally have never put a pea on the back of my fork but do like to mix up my mash and veg.

lol, I worked for a Canadian company when I lived in London and I was the only American in a company full of North Americans. I live in Seattle now. I've had a lot of practice telling the difference. It's very subtle, but it's there.

I thought it was typical of the Canadian/American divide when Canada beat the US at hockey. The Canadians came to work ecstatic because they had beaten the US, and the American didn't know they had played

AFAIK it's the same with Australia and New Zealand. Australians don't seem to mind being mistaken for kiwis, but the kiwis I have met most certainly do.

I rip at my food but then I'm a leftie so I have an excuse! I find it hard to cut with the knife in my right hand and its even weirder to swap the cutlery round

all people are judged by their accents. i live on the south coast. i however have a strong lancastrian accent and southerners assume i'm thick. i combat this by being staunchly proud of my accent and the fact that i havent changed to 'fit in'

There is an american family just moved into our village and the 3 children go to my dc school, They came round to play with my lot earlier and I heard thier accents and thought ohhh how lovely, they come from california and their accents just sound so nice, quite soft really.

We had an american lady living next door too but her and her welsh husband moved back to america

I'd love an accent, I'm from sussex originally but live in wales now, people here think I sound dead posh (definetely not)

YABU - in the nicest possible way :) !

I love the American accent - especially the southern drawl. It's charming! I'm sure a lot of people feel the same. :)

We lived in the US for 4 years and I hated the way my English accent sounded next to the American twang - it sounded so stuck up!! But I had lots of fun conversations with people about where I was from, what I was doing in the US etc. And sometimes it helped when I had to put on a haughty voice (I tried it with the DVLA but did no good )

We came back to the UK when dd1 was 5. She had a Joirsey accent which turned into an Essex accent within a month :( I know which accent I prefer!!

Really though, if people judge you because of your accent then they are the ones with the problem. My DH is from a non-English speaking country so he had an accent in both the US and over here - and that's really the attitude he's taken. You'll find small-minded people everywhere.